The Pantry Staple That Makes Roasted Zucchini Satisfyingly Crunchy

The skin of fried chicken. A handful of potato chips or a pile of French fries. A plate of freshly roasted vegetables. The satisfying crunch of all these foods engages multiple senses, enlivening the tastebuds, filling the ears with a pleasant sound, and filling the mouth with multiple flavors and textures. For perfect crunchy roasted vegetables like zucchini, cornstarch is a necessary ingredient to add to the mix.

This pantry staple is often used to thicken soups and as a substitute for eggs in familiar baked desserts. But it's also the perfect addition to a roasted zucchini recipe. Cornstarch contains two different starch molecules and one of them – amylose — can give foods like zucchini a crispy, crunchy coating. Cornstarch absorbs moisture and, once that happens, amylose spreads and crisps up the foods it's sprinkled on.

When prepping zucchini and other vegetables for roasting, a light, not clumpy coating of seasoned cornstarch is recommended. The smaller the vegetables are cut, the more space corn starch has to spread and a light coating will add a crunchiness without overpowering the roasting process of the vegetables' flavor.

Cornstarch can help home cooks achieve the perfect crunch for roasted vegetables. Potatoes, in particular, benefit from corn starch by achieving a golden brown, crispy exterior while retaining their fluffy exterior. But it can also be used for a lot more than just vegetables. Cornstarch can be added to chicken tender breading to make Italian-inspired tenders, like those favored by celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis for some extra crunch.

Cornstarch can also be a helpful addition to Korean fried chicken. This delicacy is often double-fried, but adding corn starch to a dry batter can help achieve a crispy chicken batter without having to go through the lengthy frying process twice.

One food that shouldn't be used with cornstarch, however, is grits. This Southern staple is usually best enjoyed thick, but corn starch doesn't thicken grits and ramps up the inherent blandness of grits. No matter the dish, cornstarch is an affordable pantry staple that can quickly become an easy addition to any meal that needs a bit of extra crunch.